"Looks like they all finally either went home or passed out," Prima said as she looked out into the now quiet dining hall.

Due to the fun, the floor was now covered in a disgusting mass of fallen food, spilled alcohol, and now-soiled pieces of confetti. Some people had even dropped their mugs, leaving them to lay on the ground while others were tipped over on the tables. Once the moon had risen high and the headaches had begun to catch up to those who came, the crowd had considerably thinned. Thanks to the level of drinking, many of the villagers who arrived had partied themselves to sleep at their tables, while some had disappeared into the upstairs beds they had rented. Those who hadn't somehow fallen asleep and didn't have a bed had stumbled their way back to their homes, leaving the inn filled with the echoes of snores and deep breathing. Prima took a sigh of relief.

Even with help, this still ended up being quite the evening, she thought as she scanned the room. Soon, her eyes found themselves staring at one of the back end tables with a large, younger Hylian slumped over and snoring. I also didn't expect to have so many distractions…

"It suddenly got quiet," a voice suddenly said. Prima turned to see Zelda, walking back into the dining hall with a few cleaning supplies in hand. "It's amazing how a place can change in such a short amount of time."

"Was it the experience you were hoping for?" Prima asked, taking note of the wine stains that covered her employee's body. The girl smiled.

"Of course," she said cheerfully. "This was what I wanted. If anything, I feel closer to the village than I ever have before."

"Is that so…?" Prima asked quietly. She glanced down at the hand Zelda was holding her broom in. Her knuckles were white. "Zelda… Why don't you go home for the evening?"

"What?" she asked, taken aback by the sudden suggestion. "But, Prima, I can't leave this to you. Look at the mess! It'll take you hours to finish—"

"It's something I'm used to," Prima said with a chuckle. "I can handle this on my own. Besides, this is your first time working this late and we have another day of this to work with tomorrow. You need your rest."

"But—"

"Zelda," Prima said in a gentle, but stern voice. Carefully, she reached out and took hold of the broom Zelda so tightly held. With a frown, she reluctantly released it, allowing Prima to take it away. "Go ahead and leave everything else on the counter. Rest up, and I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"I understand, thank you," Zelda answered quietly.

After a quick bow, she exited the room, leaving her boss alone with the mess and her sleeping customers. Tiredly, Prima looked out into the mess again before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. After convincing herself that she had enough energy to finish the work that same night, she began to sweep the alcohol-drenched confetti as best she could.

As she began cleaning the dining hall, Zelda had already made it out the lobby's double doors and down the steps into the village pathways. She kept her gaze down, unable to keep her eyes off the large purple stains on her dress. Now that she was outside in the evening air, she was now painfully aware of the wine aroma that now corrupted her usual scent. She quickened her pace, wanting nothing more than to go home and change and be done with the evening.

"Hey, Zelda!" a voice suddenly called out to her.

She closed her eyes, choosing to take a deep breath before turning to see who was calling out to her. On the side of the road, standing in front of the bright and colorful dye shop was its rat-looking owner and his wife, both standing in front of the door with another figure, one that looked to be one of the usual farmers.

"You did good tonight!" Sayge said with a toothy smile. "Yeehoo, and it looks like you had one heck of a time keeping up with us, isn't that right Rhodes?"

"With those stains, she almost looks like you!" the farmer named Rhodes laughed.

"Boys, please," Sayge's wife said with a scolding face. "Let the girl go home, it's clear she had a tiring day. Please be on your way, Zelda. We appreciate your work tonight."

"Sorry 'bout that. We'll see you tomorrow, Zelda!" Rhodes called out with a wave.

"Thank you for your praise and words," Zelda replied with as kind of a smile as she could muster. "Of course, I'll see you tomorrow. If you'll excuse me…"

Returning the farmer's wave with one of her own, she began to head down the road once more, keeping her quickened pace before crossing the bridge back home. As soon as she reached the door, she stopped. Once again, she took a deep breath before pushing the door open and stepping inside. The moment the door had closed behind her, she looked into the dining area to see Link sitting at the table, dressed in his usual sweater and trousers while holding a drink in one hand and the Sheikah Slate in the other. Upon hearing the creak of the front door, he looked up from the screen before giving her a welcoming smile.

"I'm home," she said as cheerfully as she could.

"Welcome back," he said, setting the slate down on the table. After a quick glance, his eyebrows raised slightly. "It looks like you had quite the night."

"Yes… Yes, you could say that," she answered after a brief moment of hesitation, one that didn't go unnoticed by Link.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, concerned.

"Everything's fine, it was just… a lot to take in," Zelda said with a weary smile. "It was a very… different environment. Yes, it was a very different environment to be in, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It was fun, and it looked like others had a good time as well— a very good time."

"Okay…" Link said with a small, but nervous smile. "They must have been rowdy tonight if you got that dirty—"

"Yes, they were, but as I said, it was enjoyable," she said quickly, taking a step towards the table. "What are you doing with the Sheikah Slate?"

"Just looking through what stuff we have," Link answered casually, "seeing what we'll need soon while making sure everything we do have isn't wasted. You've been working at the inn for a while now, do you get paid soon? Not to rush you, I'm just wondering."

"Prima and I haven't actually talked about that," Zelda said, choosing to stand next to him. "We've been so focused on teaching me everything, I guess I didn't ask the important question. I'll inquire about it at some point. Did you eat?"

"Yeah, just a simple soup with some warm milk," Link said, gesturing to the empty bowl on the table. "Did you want me to make you something? You must be hungry after working so hard."

"No— No, I'm fine. I'm going to go… take a bath," she answered as she began heading towards the staircase. "Can you grab me a spicy elixir while I prepare?"

"Yeah, sure," he answered, furrowing his brow slightly as he watched her. "Are you sure you don't want something to eat? I'm sure I can—"

"I said I'm fine, thank you, Link," she called out from halfway up the staircase. "I promise you, I'm fine."

"All right then…" he said as she disappeared onto the loft. With a hum of curiosity, he brought his cup of milk to his lips before tapping the Sheikah Slate's screen.

...

With her body completely exposed to the moonlight, Zelda sat down in the snow next to the pond's edge. While she wanted nothing more than to submerge her body into the waters, all she could allow for at the moment was to dip her lower legs in, knowing full well that she would soil the pond if she tried to wash her hair in there. Choosing the more responsible option, using a bucket she had brought with her, she filled it with water and placed it next to her before attempting to wash the wine from her golden locks. This, however, proved to be a struggle.

She ran her fingers continuously through her hair and with each pass, more purple-stained water fell onto the snow beside her. Soon, her hands themselves began to stain, yet the flow of wine continued without end in sight. After a good ten minutes of trying to wash it out, Zelda groaned.

"How much is there?" she mumbled as she tried her best to look through her hair. "By Hylia, this is… this is…"

"This is what?" a voice asked from behind.

With a small yelp in surprise, Zelda looked over to see Link. He, just like her, was also exposed to the moonlight, yet he had a large cloth wrapped around to cover his groin, with a second smaller cloth in his hand. She could feel her face starting to burn.

"L-Link?" she asked in a high-pitched voice, using one arm to cover up her front as best she could, regardless of the fact that her back was to him. "W-w-what are you doing here?"

"Well, the moment you turned around and left the table, all I could see was purple hair," he chuckled, "and, well, you did help me clean that dye out of my hair last week, so I thought I would return the favor."

"Y-yes, but… We weren't…" Zelda mumbled quietly. "We weren't bathing when I did… We had some… clothes… on…"

"This isn't the first time we've been naked together though," Link said, sitting down on his knees behind her. "Though, I guess we've always been in the water. Would you like me to leave?"

"O-of course I don't…" Zelda said, facing forward, unable to look at him any longer. "I'm just… a little…"

"Will it be better if I stayed behind you?" he asked calmly. "I can clean your hair from back here."

After a moment of silence, she nodded in approval. Without another word, Link dipped the cloth he was holding into the bucket of water she had set out. Gently, he began to rub it through her hair. Zelda could feel her heart beating faster as her cheeks continued to glow. She had never been so exposed to him before. Sure, they'd sat close in the water, but he could never properly see her, yet now here he sat behind her with her entire backside completely exposed in the light for him to see. All she could hope was that it was a sight she could be proud of.

"I… It's not fair that you can handle things like this so easily," Zelda murmured quietly as Link continued to run the cloth and his fingers through her hair. "I always wind up feeling a bit.. .self conscious."

"You have nothing to be self-conscious about," Link said with a tiny smile. "Though, this only gets so easy when I know you need me."

"Please, you make it sound as though I'm a child," she replied. "I'm sure after a while I would have gotten it all out of my hair on my own."

"That's not what I'm referring to, though, yes, I'm sure you could have," Link said. "Zelda… What happened at work?"

Zelda paused before looking down at her thighs.

"A couple of people just had a bit too much to drink, that's all," she said. "I told you it was fine."

"If it was fine, you wouldn't be so tense," Link said, keeping his soothing tone.

"I'm tense because of you…" Zelda argued timidly, yet her boyfriend shook his head.

"Your hand…" he said simply.

Zelda furrowed her brow in confusion before looking down at the hand that wasn't covering her chest. Without having realized it, she had formed a tight fist. Slowly, she released the tension in her fingers and chose to remain silent. Choosing not to pry any further, Link continued to clean her hair before nodding in approval.

"Looks like I got most, if not all, the wine out of your hair," he said. "Some kinda dripped onto your shoulder and back, though. Do you mind if I…?"

After a brief pause, Zelda shook her head. The moment she felt the cloth pressed against her lower back, she shuddered at the feeling. She could feel him slowly gliding it against her skin, ensuring that every drip of purple was absorbed into its threading. Even though she knew the only reason he was being this tender was to be sure he had gotten everything off of her, she couldn't help but embarrassingly enjoy the sensual feeling.

"There," Link said, pulling the cloth away. "You can get into the water now."

"T-thank you…" Zelda replied timidly.

Slowly, she slipped into the pond, allowing her body to disappear into the dark waters. Link, who had resorted to sitting with his legs crossed in the snow, made to stand in order to join her, yet paused when he heard the faint sound of her taking a deep breath.

"It was… those two women again…"

Furrowing his brow, Link sat back down in the snow.

"Amira and Nikki?" he asked. She nodded without looking back at him.

"They tripped me as I was working, and spilled their drinks over me," she said quietly. "While I know their actions were possibly caused by the amount of wine they had, I know they meant what they felt behind it."

"And it wasn't an accident?" Link asked as calmly as he could, now holding his own fist as tightly as he could in order to control the boiling sensation he felt growing in his chest. This time, Zelda shook her head.

"Again, I know they were under the influence, but it was intentional, at least, that's what I put together…" she replied.

"Okay then, tomorrow I'll go with you and I'll—" Link began, however, Zelda turned in the water to look at him.

"No, you won't," she said quickly. "If you go and blatantly defend me—while I'm working, mind you— all that would do is give them more reason to believe everything they already think about me."

"But, what they think about you is wrong," Link argued, "and if they're doing stuff like that, then they deserve to be reprimanded."

"Link, please," Zelda pleaded. "I cannot have you reprimand people at my job, especially when we're trying to convince everyone else here that I'm not someone who wants special treatment. I need to handle this somehow without causing a scene."

Link looked away, grinding his teeth in frustration. As much as he didn't want to admit it, she was right: going in and acting like her knight would go against everything she was trying to achieve. With a sigh, Zelda turned her back towards him as she sat in the pond.

"Still… It's just so… so…"

Link refocused his gaze on her. She looked as though she were struggling to find the words. His eyes softened. She had always had a hard time with those who didn't approve of her.

"It's okay," he said as soothingly as he could, trying to push back the anger that had built up inside. "You can let it out. No one's here to judge you."

"It's just so frustrating!" she shouted, splashing some of the water as her hands both shot up, and flailed down into the water.

Link blinked.

"It's not like I asked for my title," she continued in a harsh tone. "I never asked to be born a princess, or to have these apparently now scary powers. I used these powers for everyone's well-being, after going through years of failure! Those two hags don't know how I feel or what I went through, what, with my father and the world from before, all staring at me in now, here I am trying to be a normal person in the village! It's what I want! It's not like I'm doing it out of pity, or trying to hide some form of ill-intent. I'm doing my best here to fit in! It's hard! It's frustrating! Why do they have to be so thick-skulled that they can't understand I'm just trying to be a normal girl? I got a job, didn't I? Isn't that proof enough? And even if it's not, what does that matter? I haven't done a thing to you! I've given you no reason to hate me the way you two do!"

She paused, taking in gasps of frozen air thanks to her outburst. Link sat in the snow completely taken aback. At the silence, Zelda turned around, only to see his surprised blue eyes. Her face began to fall as self-consciousness began to consume her.

"I-I'm sorry…" she said. "T-that was a bit much, wasn't it? I… I didn't mean to let out that much—"

"'No!" Link said, leaning forward as he snapped back to reality. Suddenly, he began laughing, causing Zelda to frown.

"Why are you laughing?" she asked. "I-I said I didn't mean to– It's not funny!"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry," he said, wiping the tears that had formed in the corners of his eyes. "It's just, you haven't gotten like that in a while. It's honestly a bit relieving to see that side of you again."

"Are you teasing me again?" Zelda asked, beginning to blush with a flustered sort of annoyance as she turned back away from him.

Still chuckling, Link pushed himself up from the snow and removed his towel. He climbed into the water, and to Zelda's surprise, he sat directly behind her, choosing to wrap his arms around her waist.

"L-Link?" she asked, burning furiously at the sensation of his front pressed against her

"You weren't done, were you?" he asked calmly, closing his eyes. "You don't have to stop. You can keep complaining."

"I… I told you I didn't mean to go as far as I did. I don't want you to… to see such a dark side of me," she said, trying not to let her embarrassment take over. Still, Link shook his head.

"I told you there was no one here to judge you, right?" he said. "Go on. Keep talking."

Zelda looked back, noticing the small grin on his face. After a smile of her own, she leaned back into his chest, still doing her best to fight back the fire in her cheeks.

"Well… if I must go on," she said playfully. "For starters, I know it's not just me they talk about. I don't understand what kind of enjoyment they get out of gossiping the way they do. They have to know no one appreciates it. And besides, why do they feel the need to gossip anyway? Do they truly have nothing better to do nor anything better to talk about? I'm positive that—"

As Zelda continued her ramblings, Link had temporarily blocked her out thanks to a few thoughts of his own.

Amira and Nikki, huh? he thought to himself. I know she said I can't storm in there as her knight, but she didn't say I couldn't pay a visit on my own accord, now did she? I can take a quick break from my training; a short trip to the inn during drinking hours would hurt all that much…